In view of the Russian war of aggression, a quick exit from Russian gas in Germany is discussed again and again. Unions and employers are now warning against this step.
Employers and trade unions have jointly warned against a ban on imports of Russian gas to Germany.
Sanctions must be targeted, put pressure on the other side and prevent damage to your own economy as far as possible, said the chairman of the employers’ association BDA, Rainer Dulger, and the chairman of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB), Reiner Hoffmann, the German Press Agency in a joint statement Opinion. “We don’t see that with the currently discussed gas embargo.”
According to Dulger and Hoffmann, the negative effects on the economy and employment would currently be greater in Germany than in Russia. “A rapid gas embargo in Germany would result in production losses, production standstills, further deindustrialization and sustained job losses.”
In order to continue to support Ukraine and to keep up the pressure on Russia, you need a stable economy and a stable labor market, according to the DGB and BDA. “We’ll still have a lot of challenges to overcome in the next few months. We can’t do that from a position of weakness.”
Unprecedented sanctions
Because of the Russian attack on Ukraine, the EU has now decided to stop imports of Russian coal and imposed further unprecedented sanctions. There is also constant discussion about an immediate exit from Russian gas or oil. Germany and other countries have so far shied away from this for fear of economic damage. The chemical industry, for example, had pointed to its large consumption of oil and gas and warned of the massive consequences for the country’s value chains should there be prolonged plant failures. About 95 percent of all industrial products require chemical products.
Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) recently told the newspapers of the Funke media group: “An immediate gas embargo would endanger social peace in Germany.” You have to act prudently, prepare steps carefully and be able to persevere if you want to harm Putin. According to data from the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, Germany received more than 50 percent of its natural gas requirements from Russia in 2021.
At the beginning of the month, the Ministry of Economics said that it could be possible by summer 2024 to become independent of Russian gas, apart from a few shares. But that also depends on the pace of the expansion of renewable energies in Germany – and on a reduction in consumption. The government is also trying to increase imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to secure Germany’s gas supply in order to be less dependent on Russian gas. The liquid gas is delivered by tankers. (dpa)